[irda-users] Request for new MCS7784 infrared dongle linux driver - Technical info and datasheet available

[Francesco <fra...@ti...>]

I'm a linux user since many years.
I bought a new infrared usb dongle on the internet
and I have been trying to install it on linux (kernel 2.6 and 3.0).

After a full internet search, I found that the 2.4 linux kernel driver,
available from the manufacturer
(moschip.com) under GNU/GPL license, is not updated for new kernels.
I mailed them to ask for a new driver, but unfortunately I didn't receive a
reply.

Since I found that there are many requests about installation of this dongle on
linux (which is still unsupported) and that this peripheral is widely sold on
the internet, I think that it should be of great interest for linux users, and
for me, to have a new driver for kernels 3.0.

Unfortunately I'm not a kernel module developer and, although I do some very
simple programs in C++, I'm not aware of how infrared peripherals work:
I found your very interest site about infrared on linux and, if you are
interested in making a new kernel driver for this peripheral, I'm available to
test it and to provide you with all technical information that may be
"snooped" from my hardware.

If you are interested, feel free to contact me for any information.
Here are a few data about the hardware:

CHIPSET: MCS7784 ("MOSCHIP MCS7784CS-GR" can be read directly on the chipset,
because the case is transparent).

MANUFACTURER: MOSCHIP (formerly known as NETMOS?)
This chipset is not the MCS7780, which is already compatible with linux.

PACKAGED and distributed by: Gembird (useless information, I know).

CAPABILITIES: although the packaging says that it can do SIR, MIR and FIR,
with
speed up to 4 Mbps, I think this information is inaccurate, because I think
this is relevant only to its "brother" chip (MCS7780): plugging my dongle in
windows,
after installation of drivers, I see that the maximum speed is 115 kbps.
For this reason I believe that the maximum speed is SIR 115200 bps (which is
compatible with the low price).

DATASHEET of the chipset is available from the manufacturer site (moschip) and
may be found with the following search string:
"
datasheet MCS7784 site:moschip.com
"


Here is the dmesg output after plugging it with linux 3.0 kernel:
[37640.515325] usb 5-1: new full speed USB device number 4 using uhci_hcd
[37640.656347] usb 5-1: New USB device found, idVendor=9710, idProduct=7703
[37640.656356] usb 5-1: New USB device strings: Mfr=0, Product=0,
SerialNumber=0

Here is the lsusb line:
Bus 005 Device 004: ID 9710:7703 MosChip Semiconductor MCS7703 Serial Port
Adapter

The old 2.4 kernel module (I didn't test it, because I don't have any 2.4
kernel), released by the manufacturer under GNU GPL, may be found with the
following search string:
"
NetMos MCS7784 USB Connectivity linux site:treiberupdate.de
"

Other useful information from internet follows.

ACTISYS warning found on the internet (I didn't check):
ACT-IR204UN:  Moschip MCS7784 has PID conflict with MCS7703

usbdevs found on the internet:
"
vendor MOSCHIP          0x9710  MosChip Semiconductor
[...]
product MOSCHIP MCS7784         0x7784  Slow IrDA Adapter
"

I already have a suitable linux environment (Slackware 13.37, with kernel
updated to 3.0) and suitable hardware to check if the peripheral is working:
I already tested communication between a infrared watch and my linux distro,
with another usb dongle (stir 4200 at SIR speed), brought up with "ifconfig
irda0 up".

I also have a Windows Vista environment on which I can retrieve further
information that you should need.



Thank you in advance for all help that you can give me.

Best regards

Francesco Zanellato